Donald Trump has departed for his five-day diplomatic tour of Asia, his first time visiting the region since returning to the White House. Trump is expected to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping next week.PoliticsAsia
Trump travels to Asia amid government shutdown
Mahima Kapoor with AP, AFP and Reuters
5 hours ago5 hours ago
Donald Trump has departed for his five-day diplomatic tour of Asia, his first time visiting the region since returning to the White House. Trump is expected to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping next week.
Trump seen boarding Air Force One
Trump departed for Malaysia Friday (File photo: October 17, 2025)
US President Donald Trump late Friday departed for a three-country tour to Asia with investment deals and peace efforts on the agenda, even as the US government shutdown continues with no deal in sight.
Trump’s five-day trip to the region will include stops in Malaysia for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, Japan and then South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
In South Korea, Trump is set to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, marking the very first time the leaders meet in person during Trump’s second-term.
“The high-level question on this trip is really, who does the United States stand with, and what does it stand for,” said Mira Rapp-Hooper, a former official in the Biden administration.
But while the US president jets off to Asia, many federal workers missed their first full paycheck of the government shutdown.
